Faith has always been a difficult concept for many to fully understand and they often assume that believing that God exists is sufficient, which is far from the truth! Believing is a start, and is foundational to what may become real true faith, but believing is only a mental assent to something that is. Belief in and of itself cannot be construed as faith. Belief in God calls for a response that begins within the heart beginning with trust. We must trust in the veracity of the existence of Almighty God and that He created the universe and everything in it and controls all things including our own existence and that without Him we would cease to exist.
The Holy Bible says that "faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old received divine approval. By faith we understand that the world was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made out of things which do not appear." (Hebrews 11:1-3)
We have belief in God and on that belief we have come to trust in Him, but are those two elements alone sufficient to be considered true faith? There is yet another requirement for true faith and God expects to see us moved to action and begin sharing our belief in Him and the blessings that have been bestowed on us with others. What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not works? Can his faith save him? For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so faith apart from works is dead. (James 2:14 & 26)
One final element which is an absolute requirement and an act of faith is prayer, our communication with God who we cannot see, touch or feel. That act alone is proof to Almighty God that we know He exists and that we trust in Him for all things. "And without faith it is impossible to please Him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." We can conclude that there are four essential elements for true faith; Belief, Trust, Action and Prayer.
The faith of the entire Christian world is based in the following; "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him." (John 3:16-17)
